Cap for conduit outlet-boxes



C. H. BISSELL.

CAP FOR cownun OUTLET BOXES.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT- 3, I919.

PatentedSept. 20, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

INVENTOR.

QZMWM A TTORNEYS C. H. BISSELL.

CAP FOR CONDUIT OUTL'ET BOXES.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 3, 1919.

Patented Sept. 20, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

IN V EN TOR.

ATTORNEYS.

UNITED STATES PATENT. OFFICE.

cm H. Bissau, or SYRACUSE, NEW YORK, assrenoa 'ro caoosE-nnms-cou- PANY,or SYRACUSE, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION or NEw Yoax.

on mm column OUTLET-BOXES.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CARL H. BIssELL, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of Syracuse, in the county of Onondaga and State of New York,have invented a certain new and useful Cap for Conduit Outlet- Boxes, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention has for its object a cap for conduit outlet boxes, whichhouse rotary snap switches, which cap is provided with a switchoperating member for coacting with the button of the snap switch, andfurther has for its object, a particularly simple and efficientconstruction of such operating member, whereby the indicator thereonshowing whether the switch is on or oil", can be adjusted to match orcorrespond with the position of the on and off indicating means of theswitch housed and concealed within the outlet box and cap.

The invention consists in the novel features and in the combinations andconstructions hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In describing this invention, reference is had to the accompanyingdrawings, in which like characters designate corresponding parts in allthe views.

Figures 1 and 2 are respectively a plan and a vertical sectional view ofa conduitoutlet box and cap embodying my invention.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the box, the cap being removed.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view through the switch operatingmember.

Figs. 5 and 6 are opposing end views of the handle element and switchbutton engaging element.

Fig. 7 is a sectional view, taken on the plane of line 77, Fig. 2.

Fig. 8 is a plan view of one form of snap switch.

1 designates a conduit outlet box, which may be of any suitable form,size and construction.

2 a rotary switch having its base mounted on the bridge 3 located in thebox and extending diametrically across the same, the switch having theusual non-circular rotary operating button 4, and the usual indicator 5showing the position of the switch, that is, whether it is on or off.

6 designates the cap of the outlet box, the cap being secured to thebase in any suitable manner, as by screws 7. A suitable Specification ofLetters Patent. P t t t, 20, 21.

Application filed September 3, 1919. Serial No. 821,302.

gasket 8 is interposed between the opposing faces of the 'cap'and baseto make the entire housing weather tight. The cap 6 is provided with aswitch operating member comprising a handle, a switch button engagingelement and a motion transmitting element between the handle and thebutton engaging element, the handle being adjustable relatively to themotion transmitting element, one of which is shiftable or adjustablerelatively to the other, means for holding said elements in theiradjusted relation, and means for preventing retrograde movement of theoperating member.

10 designates the switch operating mem-' her which is rotatably mountedin the cap. 11 is the motion transmitting element which is in the formof a shank journaled in a bearing in the top of the cap 6. 12 isthehandle mounted on the shank. 13 is the switch button engaging elementhere shown as in the form of a fork or non-circular socket adapted toreceive the non-circular button 4 of the snap switch, the elements 11and 13 having opposing clutch faces which are here shown as providedwith annular flanges or disks 14 and 15 mounted on the elements 11 and13 and spaced apart and having clutch rings or raised corrugations 15 or16 on their opposing faces, which rin s normally engage each other andhold t e parts from relative rotary movement.

The elements 11 and 12 are clam ed together in order to hold theirclutch aces in engagement by suitable means here shown as a clampingmember or screw 17 extending axially through the element 11 andthreading into the switch button engaging member 13. The head of thescrew is located at the outer end of the motion transmitting elementwhere it is accessible from the outside of the cap. Retrograde movementof the operating member 10 is prevented in order that the said membercannot be turned backwardly far enough to unscrew the switch button 4.-,by suitable means as a series of ratchet teeth 18 provided on the disk14 and a pawl 19 carried by the cap and coacting with the ratchet teeth.

These ratchet teeth 18 are so spaced apart as to engage with the pawlwhen the switch button reaches an on or off position. Said ratchet teethare also provided onthe disk 14 on the motion transmitting element 11 tobe turned backwardly relatively to the socket engaging member to engageone of the four ratchet teeth 18 with the pawl 19 before the screw 17 istightened.

The handle 12 is mounted on the outer end of the shank 11 and adjustableabout the same to position the indicator 20 there n to match orcorrespond with the on and' off ositions of the indicator of the sw tch.aid handle is held in its adjusted position by a set screw 21.

The bridge 3 is shown as being provided with downturned ends 22 formedwith feet 23 which rest upon lugs 24 provided in the box, these feethavin laterally extending open ended slots 25 w ich extend in oppositedirections relatively to each other, the slots receiving screws 26 whichthread into the lugs 24. The intermediate part of the bridge is formedwith a plurality of airs of holes 27, the members of any onepair ofwhich are spaced apart the proper distance to receive the attachingscrews 28 of a standard make of switch, it bein understood that thesescrews are located different distances apart in different makes ofswitches.

In operation, the switch is mounted in the box and the position of theindicator noted, that is, it is noted whether the switch is on or off.The ca is then placed in position with the switch button receivingelement 13 engaging or receiving the switch button 4 of the switch.

When the cap is attached in'position by means of the screws 7, theindicator20 on the handle 12 may point to the word On on the cap, whilethe indicator on the switch may indicate ofi', or the indicator 19 ma'occupy a position between the words On and Off to properly position thehandle, so that it also indicates ofi to match or correspond to theposition of the indicator on the switch, the screw 17 is loosenedsufiiciently to permit the motion transmittin element 11 to be turned sothat one o the teeth 18 abuts against the handle 12 is adjuste so thatits indicator 2O points to the same word, that the indicator of theswitch showed before the cap was applied.

his device is particularly advantageous in that it provides a water andweather tight housing for snap switchesand a particularly simple andeii'icient means for o erating the snap switches from the outsi e of thehousin I What I claim is: 1. 'A cap for conduit outlet boxes having aswitch operating member associated there with comprising a handle, arotary switch button engaging element and a motion transmitting elementbetween the handle and the former element, one element being shiftablerelatively to the. other, and the on the cap. Therefore, in order awl 19and then the.

handle being shiftable relatively to the latter element and means fornormally holding said elements from shifting movement relatively to eachother, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. A cap for conduit outlet boxes having a switch operating memberassociated therewith comprising a handle, a rotary switch buttonengaging element and a motion transmitting element between the handleand the former element, one element being shiftable relatively to theother, and the handle being shiftable relatively to the latter element,means for normally holding said elements from shifting movementrelatively to each other, and means for preventing retrograde movementof the motion transmitting element,.substantiall y as and for thepurpose specified.

3. A cap for conduit outlet boxes having a switch operating memberassociated therewith comprisin two rotatable elements arranged in axiaalinement, one element being journaled in the cap, a handle mounted onsaid element, and adjustable about the axis of the same, and one elementhaving an adjusting movement relatively to the other about its axis andmeans for holding said elements in their adjusted position,substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. A cap for conduit outlet boxes having a switch operating memberassociated therewith comprising two rotatable elements arranged in axialalinement, one element being journaled in the cap, a handle mounted onsaid element, and adjustable about the axis of the same, and one elementhaving an adjusting movement relatively to the other about its axis,means for holding said elements in their adjusted osition, and meansfor. preventing retrogra e movement of the adjustable element,substantially as and for the purpose described.

5. A cap for conduit outlet boxes having a switch operating memberassociated therewith com rising a rotatable element journaled in t ecap, a handle mounted on said element, and a rotatable switch buttonengaging element located in the cap and arranged in axial alinement withthe former element, said elements having friction faces element and arotatable switch button engaging element located in the cap and arrangedin axial alinement with the former element,

said elements having friction faces at their iao opposing ends and meansfor clamping the e ements together, said means extending lengthwise ofthe former elements through the outer end' of the same, substantially asand for the urpose set forth. I

7-. A cap f dr conduit outlet boxes having a switch operating memberassociated therewith comprising a rotatable element journaled in thecap, a handle mounted on said element, and a rotatable switch buttonengaging element located in the cap and arranged in axial alinement withthe former element, said elements having friction faces at theiropposing ends, means for clamping the elements together, the handlebeing adjustable about the former element, and means for preventingretrograde movement of the former element, substantially as and for thepurpose described.

8. A cap for conduit outlet boxes having a switch operating memberassociated therewith comprising a rotatable element journaled in the capand a rotatable switch button engaging element formed with a noncircularsocket for receivin the button of a rotar switch, the former elementbeing adj usta le about its axis relatively to the latter element, meansfor holding the handle element in its adjusted position relatively tothe switch button engaging element, a handle mounted on the formerelement and adjustable about the same, and means for preventingretrograde movement of the former element, substantially as and for thepurpose specified.

9. A cap for conduit outlet boxes having a switch operating memberassociated therewith comprising a rotatable element and a rotatableswitch button engaging element arranged in axial alinement and havingclutch faces at their opposing ends, means for clampin the elementstogether, a handle mounte on the outer end of the former element andadjustable about the axis of the same, substantially as and for thepurpose set forth.

preventing retrograde movement of the a switch operating memberassociated therewith comprising a rotary element ournaled in the cap anda switch button engaging element located within the cap and arranged inaxial alinement with the former element, said elements being provided attheir opposing ends with annular spaced apart flanges having corrugatedclutch surfaces on their opposing faces for engaging each other, andmeans operable from the outer end of the former element for clampingsaid elements together and engaging said clutch faces, substantially asand for the purpose specified.

12. A switch operating member comprising a handle and a rotary motiontransmitting element. on which the handle is mounted, a rotary switchbutton engaging element, one of said elements being shiftable about itsaxis relatively to the other and the handle being shiftable relativelyto the motion transmitting element, and means for holding the motiontransmitting element and the button engaging element in their adjustedposition, substantially as and for the purpose described.

13. A switch operating member comprising a handle, a motion transmittingelement, a rotary switch engaging element, one of said elements beingshiftable relatively to the other about its axis, the handle beingshiftable' relatively to the motion transmitting element, means fornormally holding said elements from shifting movement relatively to eachother, and means for preventing retrograde movement of the motiontransmitting element, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

14. A switch operating member comprising a rotary motion transmittingelement, a rotary switch button engaging element having means forengaging the button of a rotary switch, said elements having clutchfaces on their opposing ends, a clam'ping member extending lengthwise ofthe former element and threading into the switch button engagin element,a handle mounted on the outer end of the motion transmitting element,and means for preventing retrograde movement of the motion transmittingelement, substantially as and for the purpose descrlbed.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name, at Syracuse, inthe county of Onondaga, and State of New York, this 22nd day of August,1919.

CARL H. BIS'SELL.

